MissAppropriation

Note: This is Part 4 of the Miss stories, after MissPlacement (Part 1), MissTake (Part 2), and MissJudge (Part 3).

In the baseball stadium's skybox suite, Tara Cunningham inconspicuously watched her boss's new associate speak with the would-be target. This Kelli Kennedy was quite the reputable scammer according to every source she could find about the infamous MissPlacement. The kind of scams she ran sounded very good, too good to be true. And with that logic, Tara disbelieved that she was that good just with hypnosis, or that hypnosis was really that palpable. She thought sending Kelli in to deal with Judge Kowalski was a genius stroke in motivating the drafted hypnotist, and that whatever Kelli was using to get to her was less so. Not wanting a possibly-known associate of Richie McClung to be seen anywhere near a judge, Tara could only see the back of their heads, and only imagine the tactics Kelli used to mind-fuck a judge. Extortion, clever threats, drugs, whatever she was using to aid the supposed pure mind-play, seemed to be working as Kowalski seemed totally fixated on Kelli, none the wiser about why.

Watching Kelli get up and leave, having the judge follow looking mostly aware felt surreal; following a few paces behind, Tara guessed a spiked drink had won the strategic victory of beginning to get some of Richie's hooks into Kowalski. Tara with a skeptical smile greeted Kelli, asking her to follow to where Richie would be waiting; Kelli gave the same smile she got, watching small indicators of disbelief on the mob assistant's face as Judge Kowalski rose at near sleepwalking speed, just enough to look normal, following directly behind the hypnotist. All three made it to the huge stadium parking lot, where Richie sat waiting in his oversized SUV. Tara and Kelli both approached the SUV, while Kowalski stood by the main entrance, checking her phone.

The back passenger window rolled down to show Richie had changed clothes, the sports regalia gone and dressed dapper in suit jacket with a black turtleneck underneath. Kelli greeted her interim boss with good news. "Congrats, you now have a judge's ear," Kelli pointed to the entrance where the judge was standing, as if waiting for something.

"What is she doing with her phone?" Tara asked with concern of Kelli's influential potency.

"Rose is playing a game on her phone with bright colors, colors that keep her fixed on the suggestions I've given her so far, opening her up to more."

Tara looked over at the judge totally fixated on her phone. Rather than typing, it looked like she was touching different parts of the screen, making the game-playing explanation believable, and making Tara wonder what kind of drug was involved to get her to that point.

Richie, searching his pockets, looking annoyed as he found a small matchbox to light a cigarette, lit the end of the stick and took a long drag. The expression on his face described the happiest criminal she'd ever seen.

"I may have seriously underestimated what an investment I have in you, Miss Kennedy."

That made both young women standing next to the SUV take considerable notice of Richie's words.

"Investment?"

"Back in the stands, I was honestly wondering how good a sales pitch I needed to give. Threats sounded too contrite. Bribing sounded too desperate at that point. Daring you to do the impossible would've been fun, but at this point, unnecessary."

"So...what are you saying?" Kelli asked the question both women were thinking.

"I'm saying I feel like you would've done this for the same reason you do everything you do as MissPlacement - for the love of the game."

Tara dared not to show any trace of jealousy slowly springing up in her.

"It's not often you meet someone who's got the talent and sportsmanship, doing it all for sport, to be the MVP of their own sport. I was the best thief around before I came up in the world, because I loved the sport so much. It's a sport most couldn't fathom, let alone compete in; you should have a stadium full of fans cheering for what you've pulled off for me today."

Not letting compliments override her sense of paranoia, she took his words in stride. "Appreciated, but like I said before, the work isn't done. More time is still needed to get at exactly what you want."

"Which is why you and Tara will be accompanying the sleepy judge home, to see she gets some good rest, and-"

"Isn't she already ready for Monday?" Tara interjected.

"Not nearly, the agreement was for the weekend," Kelli looked between the two, gauging the miscommunication.

"It should already be done; isn't your thing to warp their brains?"

"Not permanently. I can leave anyone in a state of confusion for a few minutes while taking a few things they won't remember is missing right away. You want enough control for her to do something days later, which needs more time," Kelli explained, baffled that she had to.

Tara tried to keep herself from huffing. "The judge's itinerary has her hosting a private fundraising event tomorrow at her home, and there could be more visitors coming before that. It's going to look strange if she's not present."

"It's going to seem even stranger come Monday if you need her to do something specific like a court ruling. Lots of outside influences, especially people at this event, can throw the control I've only started to establish on the fritz."

"Then you two will have to make a weekend of it. See what you can do before the party, and hopefully keep an eye on her during. I seriously hope that it isn't too optimistic for all of us, including the judge, to dream about a particular outcome come Monday morning. And after that, there's an illustrious job waiting for you once it's done, with benefits that are definitely nothing to sneeze at."

"An offer I can't refuse?" Kelli joked, her voice laced with grave seriousness.

"Your perceptive talents continue to impress, because why would you want to?"

He left with a satisfied smile, as the window rolled up and the car pulled out into traffic, leaving both women to stare at one another.

"Have her bring her car around. We'll all ride in it together," Tara told Kelli.

"Couldn't that draw unnecessary attention, all of us in the car?"

"I didn't ask you what was necessary, I'm telling you what is, which is just what I told you to do, what Richie wants done."

Tara couldn't help but add a little uncompromising iron to her velvet glove, despite name-dropping the real authority, not wanting to kowtow to the unassuming-looking mental manipulator.

"Are you sure no one is going to notice either of us driving a judge's car? I guarantee her honor is in no shape to drive anywhere right now."

Tara's expression remained even, to not let it get to her about the complicated logistics her plan didn't account for.

"Guess that means I'm driving," Kelli sighed.

"No, I'm driving," Tara's even tone was quickly fading, veering into anger for the loss of control.

"I'll need every moment I can get to program her before a party, that means trancing during the ride. That won't work if you end up crashing the car because you got caught up in what I'm doing to her."

"You're not drugging or hypnoing me or whatever, you're doing it to her."

In the competing stratagems, Tara used more imposing will than normal to hide her disadvantage. Even in the ride to the judge's house, there was no sure way of assuring compliance. Leaving Kelli to drive and take directions maybe meant less optimal time to program, and having Tara drive meant Kelli might whisper unheard commands that could cause further complications. Before settling on anything, Kelli settled on something.

"Alright, fine. Please drive us to the house," Kelli seemed to concede, walking to get the judge.

Getting what she wanted, Tara hoped on the way she could plan more carefully whatever was to come.

Watching Kelli retrieve the judge, Tara pulled out her phone to send a few texts to person's waiting for the next phase of the plan.

***

The drive to Rose Kowalski's home was a long one, thankfully having avoided the traffic from a stadium being emptied out. Most of the drive consisted of Kelli deepening Rose's trance in the backseat, whispering commands and fractionating her several times. Tara looked like a personal chauffeur to most of the traffic, occasionally stealing glances in the back to keep an eye on the asset, and partly to figure out how Kelli was doing what she was doing. Her gaze lingered every time she looked more aware from being brought out of trance, only to be dropped back even quicker.

Traffic was thankfully light for Tara, as the rear-view mirror showed Kelli occasionally applying perfume to her body, especially giving her wrists spritzes, keeping them close to the subject's face as she made spirals over her temples, making her breathe deeply in an out, speaking rhythmically to set a rhythm for breathing. Tara smiled to herself, knowing there was some specific trick to her control, but briefly wondered if there was a detectable scent to it, as she caught her own breathing matching the backseat passengers.

"Please keep your eyes on the road," Kelli had to tell Tara a few times without looking at her, knowing where her concentration was needed. Tara pretended to ignore her request, but still brought her eyes back to the road, lest she lost too much concentration, and something happened.

Halfway into the carpool ride, Kelli let Rose rest for some time, letting the given suggestions naturally take root in her head. "So...what's it like working for Richie?" Kelli asked the driver.

"You said you needed every moment you can get to do what you need to. Don't waste time."

"I'm not; I've given enough suggestions to let her mind start believing that the new ideas are really hers while she's sleeping. And I'd still love to know what this new job is like, whether I have a choice or not. So...please fill me in."

Tara kept her composure while sighing. "It's basically contract work; doing what you already do, but just for us."

"Not for Richie?"

"If you're getting an order from me, you're getting an order from Richie."

"Heh, that's good to hear."

Tara stared into the rear-view to gauge Kelli's face for the meaning to her last statement; Kelli gave a genuine smile before elaborating.

"'Behind every great man is a great woman,' the saying goes. I imagine it's rare that women have any kind of real power in this kind of business; nice to know it's not just another stuffy boys-club."

Watchful eyes moved back to watching the road, never letting it show how long and hard she had to work to get to where she was, nor letting any jealousy of Richie's interest in Kelli ever seep through. As much as Tara endured, playing the game, having to outsmart and outshine men in a dangerous boy's club to get to a trusted position, she was never as enterprising or innovating as Richie or Kelli had been at street level, literally carving out their own eventual fortunes.

"Please tell me Richie is a man that respects women."

"He does, thankfully."

"Good," Kelli breathed a sigh of relief, looking over to a sleeping Rose, ready to lean in to resume the brainwashing, when Tara spoke up.

"We're almost to her house. Before we get there, do you have everything you need for the job?"

"What?"

"Equipment, items, aids, whatever will help the process along."

Kelli thought about the question for a moment, checking the contents of the bag she'd brought with her. "No, I should have everything I need. But I may have some questions about this party she's hosting. Please tell me about it. It's a fundraiser?"

"For her judicial campaign. Maybe a dozen or so possible donors, and she's hosting it at her house."

"That could add some pressure I need to take into account. Anyone or anything particularly stressful or significant that she should be expecting at the party that you know of, like high dollar amounts or people she should be paying attention to?"

"That I know of, no. But if something comes up..."

"If something comes up, I'll be there to help her, as a new 'aide.' Please don't worry about that."

Tara nodded, and the only sounds audible for the rest of the ride was more gentle whispers in Rose's ear, blanketing the silent profiteering plotting Kelli was ruminating.

***

Ned Ryburn slowly woke up off the comfortable cushioning, feeling refreshed and at peace, needing to take a moment to let the sleepy sensations fade to take in his surroundings. Each thing he noticed annoyed him slightly, as he found himself locked up yet again. Warmth from the sun creeping into his cell, just like warmth crept up into Ned's senses as he saw Kelly sitting across from him, outside the cell, smiling jubilantly at him.

"Hey Neddy Bear. Did you have a good nap?"

Loving everything about her, including how her pet name embraced his essence like a warm hug, annoyed him further, weakly trying to scowl at her.

"Define 'good.'"

"'Good' as in a luxurious nap most don't know or never give themselves, like a lazy cat basking in direct sunlight; that kind of good," she crooned in her hypnotic tenor, noticing with glee how he took to the suggestions. "And you're welcome, by the way."

"Would I be welcome to leave this cell too?"

"Only if you really wanted to. And really, you'd rather kneel before me than do that."

Ned successfully ignored the compulsion in his legs to do just that, claiming probably a short-term victory.

"Why are you here, Kelli? Just to gloat?"

"No, not right now. It's almost time to execute the big plan, and I think some more advice on Richie McClung, from someone I trust, can't hurt."

"The way I understand your power now, you control people to the point where they can't lie to you. You can't trust Lou now?" Ned tried to hold his smile at bay, knowing his controller was looking more for a pep-talk than advice, building her confidence to take on whatever insane plan she'd hatched up.

"When I suggested you bring me honest cops, did you know Detective Giatti wasn't one of them?"

The urge to smile dissipated, as it still stung to know his friend went down that path, to know he willingly betrayed his oath, putting aside the sexy feeling of Ned's own oath being greatly subverted to MissPlacement.

"No. Had I known what I know now, Lou might already be in prison or witness protection. And if one of the few honest cops I trusted could be gotten to, I'd feel like leaving this city right after I'd put McClung away; transfer to some place that doesn't make me feel like I'm working alone."

"That's why I trust you, Ned."

"Then you can trust me when I say that Richie McClung is not the kind of man you want any involvement with."

"Even if I make him an offer he can't refuse?" she joked, trying to bring levity to conceal her worry.

"This guy doesn't offer, or negotiate. He's too much like you, taking whatever he wants."

"Yeah, that's the damn frustrating part. It's like trying to outwit a more resourceful twin. Truth be told, I'd rather partner up with another me."

"And how long would that last? Eventually, crafty alphas like you take care of the competition."

Kelli shook her head, admitting that part to be true.

"And they wouldn't tolerate failure; that fake courier, one of Richie's men that you stole from, no one's seen him since that theft. And given McClung's track record, he's not likely to be seen again."

"I haven't failed him."

"No, you did worse, you tarnished his reputation. Anyone that makes him look bad, that doesn't face his retribution, makes him look weak. And you don't get to where he is by having any kind of weakness people can see."

Cold facts she kept in the back of her mind from being too rattled sent a shiver of fear she quickly suppressed, forcing calm into her as she let the strategic part of her take more brain power.

"If you knew exactly what I could do the night you found me, how would you have beaten me?"

Ned actually stood up, approaching the bars made of wood, convinced they were made of unbreakable steel. He took a good look at Kelli, whom stood up, walking to meet his thoughtful stature on the other end of the bars.

"Besides tasing you?" She smirked at that.

"Make you believe that you'd won somehow, and that everything that happened was supposed to. Couldn't hurt if you just didn't know I existed too."

Kelli perked up at that, letting her spiraling nail rise to the space at the bridge of his nose, the decorative pattern catching his attention as it gradually rose to his eyesight.

"Oh, I think it would hurt. Even just a little bit, Neddy Bear. Image all that pleasure that wouldn't fill you without me, that mind that would be filled to the brim with worry in it." Fixed eyes followed the nails path, even down to the lips it circled and teased, making him cross-eyed as nail traced up the bridge of his nose, all the way to his forehead. Eyes rolled back up in his head as the nail traced spirals just below his hairline, before snapping him into spiraling depths.

"On your knees, Neddy Bear; let's make it feel so good to exist only for me."

She easily opened the "cell bars," contemplating what she was in the mood for. "Hands and knees, Neddy Bear," she singsonged, forgetting the last time she indulged in objectification. Soft suggestions made him bend over to utilize as a bench while she contemplated strategies, encouraged by the moans of a gratefully-useful slave feeling the warmth and weight of his reason for being above him.

***

Pulling in to the circular driveway of the judges house, Kelli and Tara found a few vehicles already present, including a catering van that blocked access to the garage.

"I thought you said it was tomorrow, Tara. Please tell me you weren't expecting this."

"Not at all," the confused driver spoke, parking near the catering van and checking her phone for Judge Kowalski's itinerary. "All of this is too early. Nothing in the judge's plans pushed things up so soon."

As if on cue for an answer, a woman in a grey business suit, looking to be around Kelli and Tara's age, stood at the entrance, waving at the judges car. She seemed to bend a little to get a better view of the car's occupants, noticing right away that someone else was driving, and the faint view of her boss in the backseat with someone else. As Kelli whispered firm suggestions into Rose's ear, establishing an aware-but-controlled state, Patrice took tepid steps towards the car.

"Please tell me you know who that is."

"That's Patrice Andrew, Judge Kowalski's official executive assistant, and unofficial campaign manager. I'm guessing she's the reason this shit is here early."

Everyone but Rose Kowalski looked at the suspicious-looking Patrice closing in on the car. Tara felt at a loss for how to deal with this, expecting to have total privacy and time to think of a plausible story for Rose having visitors.

"Please let me handle this one," intoned Kelli, with a confidence that seemed only the tip of the iceberg, putting Tara at ease surprisingly quick. "And please freshen up on that perfume of yours. Might help give a better impression of young college girls looking to be sophisticated." Rummaging through her purse before giving thought as to how her perfume could help, Tara applied a slightly more-than-light amount to herself while Kelli did the same with her own.

Patrice subtly tried to reach for her phone, ready to call 911, when the backdoors of Rose's car opened and the judge emerged smiling, genuinely happy to see her and be in the company of apparent strangers.

"Judge Kowalski, I wasn't expecting you back so early; was hoping to surprise you with some finished preparations as soon as you got back," Patrice spoke to her boss, her attention still leaning toward the peripheral sight of the two young women.